An occasional blog of our activities for the LGBT History Project with the odd post on subjects connected to LGBT History generally. Contact us at lgbthistoryproject@hotmail.co.uk. You can download our 2016 magazine here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24371157/P2P-2016.pdf

Friday, 29 March 2013

You may possibly have noticed that marriage equality is big news in the US and Europe at the moment, with the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 heading for the Report Stage and 3rd Reading in the House of Commons any time now. The marriage equality movement in the US is currently waiting with baited breath for SCOTUS (the Supreme Court Of The United States) to give judgment on the recent hearings about Proposition 8 and DOMA. The former added a new provision to the California Constitution, "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". The latter (the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into US Law by President Clinton in 1996) restricts federal marriage benefits and limits inter-state marriage recognition to opposite-sex marriages only.However, I spotted a couple of postings online that show the struggle for marriage equality in the US began earlier than I had previously realised. In the 1970s, in fact.

Monday, 18 March 2013

South, a film tackling the then brave themes of race and sexuality, was first shown on ITV in 1959 - only 2 years after the Wolfenden Report, which recommended the partial decrimiinalisation of male homosexual acts, was published; and 2 years before Victim, starring Dirk Bogarde, was released. It deals with a dashing Polish army lieutenant exiled in the US deep south as civil
war approaches and the question of whom he really loves: a plantation
owner's angry niece, Miss Regina, or the tall, blond, rugged officer who
arrives suddenly – a handsome man called Eric MacClure.

Lieutenant Jan Wicziewsky was played by Peter Wyngarde, who went on to play Jason King, possibly the campest, yet most determinedly heterosexual ladies' man ever to be seen on TV. Wyngarde was himself gay and is now known to have been in a long term relationship with fellow actor, Alan Bates, at the time of the broadcast.

Sunday, 3 March 2013

One of the main outputs of the LGBT History Project is our annual magazine, Past2Present. This year I have managed to advertise it everywhere (well, in lots of places) - thanks to some kind people on Twitter - except here.

Friday, 1 March 2013

Eugenia by Mark Tedeschi QC is the true story of a transgender man at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia - featuring running away to sea, a vicious rape at the discovery of his biological sex, an abandoned child, a new identity, marriage, murder and the most high-profile court trial of the time.For more information:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenia_Fallenihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_TedeschiPublished in 2012, the book is widely available.

a
transgender man at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia -
featuring running away to sea, a viscous rape at the discovery of his
biological sex, an abandoned child, a new identity, marriage, murder and
the most high-profile court trial of the decade - See more at:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/woman-who-married-two-women-edwardian-australia280213#sthash.qhf32AQx.dpuf

a
transgender man at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia -
featuring running away to sea, a viscous rape at the discovery of his
biological sex, an abandoned child, a new identity, marriage, murder and
the most high-profile court trial of the decade - See more at:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/woman-who-married-two-women-edwardian-australia280213#sthash.qhf32AQx.dpuf

a
transgender man at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia -
featuring running away to sea, a viscous rape at the discovery of his
biological sex, an abandoned child, a new identity, marriage, murder and
the most high-profile court trial of the decade - See more at:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/woman-who-married-two-women-edwardian-australia280213#sthash.qhf32AQx.dpuf

a
transgender man at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia -
featuring running away to sea, a viscous rape at the discovery of his
biological sex, an abandoned child, a new identity, marriage, murder and
the most high-profile court trial of the decade - See more at:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/woman-who-married-two-women-edwardian-australia280213#sthash.qhf32AQx.dpuf

The website Letters of Note has just published the text of a love letter from American World War II veteran Brian Keith to Dave, a fellow soldier he met and fell in love with in 1943 while stationed in North Africa, on the occasion of their anniversary. It's an almost lyrical letter, with a sad, bitter-sweet ending.http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/02/sleep-well-my-love.htmlThe original letter is apparently held in the US Library of Congress.http://www.loc.gov/index.html

Some favourite links

About Me

One of several old horses interested in having his nosebag in nice, local restaurants. Also part of a trio of amateur historians rummaging through the National Archives for traces of hidden LGBT history.